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When Bad Things Happen to Good Books

Peter J. Shields Library — Lobby Display Cases
Spring and Summer 2009

On exhibit in the Shields Library lobby is a collection of books
received by the Preservation Department for restoration treatment
due to damage as a result of careless handling or deliberate
defacing. In addition to the highlighting and/or ink and pencil
marks, stains from food and liquids often result in permanent damage
requiring the replacement of the book, when possible. This display
is just a small sample of the books received in Preservation which
are defaced or stained in some way, an estimated 25% of their
restoration workload.

Preservation staff have assembled this exhibit to raise awareness of
the need to handle these shared collections with care, ensuring they
are available for use by generations to come.